Quoted
by doryfishie
Summary: I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge -- myth is more potent than history -- dreams are more powerful than facts -- hope always triumphs over experience -- laughter is the cure for grief -- love is stronger than death.
1. Everything has a Price

Note: HIYA! I was bored, going through my wonderful quotes, and decided to write a fanfiction about them! Just random oneshots loosely based on the quote at the beginning. If you want, you can send me some and I'll try to write something on them. This thing will however, not be updated regularly, just when i feel like it ((HINT: I like updating when i know people are reading, and i know when you're reading when you send me a review!!)).

Listening to: No Regret Life (Japanese Rock band of happiness!!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do have a shirt with pretty akatsuki clouds on it...it's the most comfy thing and very good for sleeping in!

_**"Everything has a price. It's just what you're willing to pay for it." - Anne Bishop**_

She stood there, staring in the window. Neji noticed she has done this for several weeks now: always the same place, same day, same time. He wonders why she stands there.

When he believes he has given her enough time, the dark-haired man walks up to his team mate purposefully. He knows she senses his presence, but she doesn't turn around. She _always_ turns around.

"Tenten," he speaks first. He _never_ has to get her attention.

He waits a little longer than usual, but eventually she replies, "Aren't they beautiful Neji?" He can here the longing in her voice. Tenten rarely needs anything, and never asks for anything.

She doesn't shift, so he has look around her to see. What he finds is a set of kunai engraved with a complicated pattern. It is indeed beautiful, but not particularly practical. Who would waste something so exquisite on an enemy?

"Ah." His reply neither affirms nor denies her claim. It has always been easier to let others hear what they wish.

"They're so…Oh Neji, they're so expensive, but yet so pretty!" the desire in her voice is overwhelming everything else. When she turns to face him, the yearning is even more apparent. "I've seen new ones come in every week and each one is more attractive then the last. How I wish I could get even just one…" She trails off, turning back to the display.

Somewhere in his thoughts, he finds the situation ironic. Most girls, no matter how independent they seem, wish for jewels or other needless pretty objects. His team mate, however, really has no need for such trinkets. She wants decorations made to kill, because, no matter how pretty they may seem, that is what weapons are: killing devices.

He merely looks at her, a ghost of a smile many wouldn't (or couldn't) see, and tells her it's time to practice. She takes one last look before sighing and following him to their training ground.

-Q-

The store is not difficult to find. The object he seeks, though, is. From the outside, the shop seems small, but it is filled with shelves and displays of weapons. Kantanas hang from the walls, many are practical but a few are much too noticeable to be of use to an ANBU. Shuriken of all sizes are placed in displays as well as cabinets, the larger are hung from the ceiling, high enough that even he, at his height, need not duck. But he cannot find what he is looking for.

There are many kunai, yes, but none have the elaborate decoration he saw in the window. When he asks, the clerk apologizes, saying they were sold yesterday. Neji frowns, but vows to come back the next week.

When he does, the kunai the clerk shows him are even more striking then the last. Dragons dance along both hilt and blade, winding around until noses reach the point. Each dragon is outlined with different jewels, making each kunai seem a different color. The jewels are held in place by a thin band of gold.

The price is quite large, but then, Tenten has given him more.


	2. Alcohol

NOTE: I've just realized i don't have a very good grip on the current Naruto plotline...all well...i have a vague notion of what happened, so I hope I'll be able to keep up...anymewho, i'm bored...again.

Listening to: Wind by Akeboshi (more commonly known as the first Naruto ending it makes me happy)

Disclaimer: for some reason, when I went shopping, I didn't buy Naruto. I think I saw him on sale though...

"_**Alcohol may be a man's worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy" - Frank Sinatra**_

They both liked to drink. It was, perhaps, the only thing they really had in common. But drinking is never a habit you are born with. It is the results of past and present affairs lead you to the only feasible means of escape. Perhaps the reason the one thing they had in common was drinking was they had many of the same life experiences.

They had lived through much together. Lives of Shinobi are rarely quiet or peaceful, but for exceptional shinobi, lives can be hell. Perhaps in another life she could have loved him, but not this one. Perhaps in another life they would have never met. Perhaps in another life he wouldn't chase girls…

…Or perhaps not.

Both of them drank. They liked it; it was a get away from the sorrow. It was fun to drink, just not together. When they drank together, they were perhaps more sober then they were otherwise. Memories that were suppressed when the other was around were let lose, free to roam about in consciousness.

But sometimes it needed to happen, and that's why they went drinking together. Inconsistently, but that was only natural. Shinobi lives rarely allow for routines, but they didn't mind. Sometimes they would get drunk, but those were few. Mainly, their meetings were sober times, filled with remembrance, regret, and hope.

How they hoped. It was a stupid thing to do, they both knew. Hoping wasn't for them. Hokages weren't allowed to get attached and a spy's work is too precise to rely on anything besides skill. But still, they continued to hope.

They hoped for many things. Once they had tried to list the number of times they had hoped, but it had gotten harder the farther back and the longer they stayed. That had been one of the times they had gotten drunk together.

Together. Ever since that day, they had been together: if not physically, then mentally. They shared a bond. They knew it was apparent to all those around them, however faintly only the perceivers knew. To them it was obvious. Neither acknowledged openly, but deep in their hearts they saw a friend.

As others left, the bond grew. They needed each other more and more as others fell behind them, lost to the path of life. At one point they had made a bet: who was going to die first. It had been particularly funny at that time: they were in a dark mood. She had bet she would die first.

That had been a mistake.

She had known, even back then, of her luck. Whatever she bet on was sure to lose. Still, she had been drunk, foolish enough to hope that her luck would change on this one matter because she 

didn't want to lose him. She didn't think fate would be cruel enough to take away the one thing that kept her anchored.

She had been so stupid. Each day she waited in fear of him never coming back; of him going over the limit; of him _dying_. She was scared: for him, for her, for others. She was scared that her intoxicated stupidity would lead to his downfall.

It gave her another reason to drink. She drank…all the time. Shizune said it wasn't good, but she could handle it: she was a medic after all. And who said she didn't want the consequences?

It also gave her a reason to drink with him. Her guilt added another sorrow to their bucket that was quickly turning into a lake. She wanted more time, more excuses, and drinking gave them to her. That's why it would always be okay.


	3. Half X3

Note: short, little, happy Sakura thing. not much else to say!

listening to: it's not over (secondhand serenade)

Disclaimer: no attention span, no naru--hey look, i have pretty new shiny!

_**"Don't do anything by half. If you love someone, love them with all your soul. When you go to work, work your ass off. When you hate someone, hate them until it hurts." - Henry Rollins**_

She loved him for years without wavering.

It was tolling, loving him. He rarely responded, but when he did it was cruel and hurtful, cutting her heart into pieces. She'd wondered if she was a masochist, but decided she didn't like the pain and therefore wasn't. She was just perseverant.

She worked until she was able to stand alone.

It was hard work. Tsunade-shishou was very strict, and the work had to be preformed perfectly otherwise she would start again. But love was a strong motivation, and she eventually adapted: growing stronger each passing day.

She hated him until he came back.

She didn't understand him. Why leave? He broke her heart, and she was sure he knew he did, but he didn't even care. He didn't care that he had left a thirteen year old girl who had just confessed her love to him on a bench. He broke her, hurt her, and because of that, she was pissed.


	4. Staying for the Cookies

Note: cause Sasuke needs a good reason to stay!

Listening to: Angels (within temptation)

Disclaimer: you really think this is the reason Sasuke stays in Sound? Sheesh! if i wrote Naruto, it _would_ be.

"_**If you join the dark side there is a good chance you will not die in my hands (the cookies are pretty good too)"**_

"Here's the situation, you either come with us, or live in this shithole where you won't grow strong enough to destroy your brother." These…things he decided to call them were annoying. He knew he was weak, hadn't he just demonstrated it when he tried to fight _him_? Why did they have to rub it in his face?

Still…their offer was enticing. He knew that Konoha would make him weak. He wouldn't reach his potential if he was filled with bonds and the other crap this city gave him. If he continued his existence here, he'd eventually end up like Naruto and heaven forbid _that_ happening.

"Hnn…I'll think about it." Like hell, he was going to Orochimaru's, and _no one_ was telling him otherwise.

"You do that, and when you're ready, just leave the village. You might want to sever your bonds though." Hmm…kill Naruto and leave the village? That sounded like fun.

-Q-

"I love you more than anything!" She was screaming at him. It was more annoying usual. Seriously, now he could actually see the tiny little thread connecting them. Another bond he couldn't cut. These things were getting on his nerves. They were so damn hard to break.

"Thanks a lot." He meant it to sound sarcastic. She had just given him another reason to stay. _Orochimaru better have a damn good training program, cause this ain't easy._

-Q-

This sucks. He wasn't getting stronger, he had to change his clothes, and the water was never hot. What the hell was he thinking when he came here? Power? Yeah right. So far, Orochimaru had been too busy to teach him anything useful. Sure, he knew some more jutsu, and his body was in better shape than normal, but was any of this gonna help him kill Itachi?

No.

Really, the only reason he stayed was because Sound had good cookies. He didn't like sweets in general, but _damn_ those peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies just melted in your mouth.


	5. Best Friends and Gay Boys

Note: hahaha, i had originally written this as a oneshot, but then I remember i based this off a quote, so why not put it here! Thanks to all those reviewing!!

listening to: Angels (within temptation)

Disclaimer: naruto would be shojo if i wrote it...but i don't, so it's a shonen manga (which is why so many girls read it O.o)

"_**A good friend will comfort you when he rejects you. A best friend will go up to him and say, 'It's because you're gay, isn't it?'" – unknown (to me at least)**_

"It's really sick, the way he rejects you Sakura. Sure, he dismissed every girl to show him her affections, but his own teammate?! He could at least reject you nicely!" Ino was fuming. Sakura had come to her house (yet again) because a certain Uchiha didn't know the definition of tact.

"Y-yeah," Sakura hiccupped.

"I mean seriously!" Ino was to the point where her pink-haired friend had to drag her to the back room for fear of endangering the plants, "You've given him nothing but unwavering love for the past, what? Five years? Ten years?! It's time for him to show a bit of consideration for you!!"

Sakura nodded silently. It was true, it was unfair. She was so glad to have a friend like Ino who would put her crush on the moody, attractive avenger behind her when her friend was hurt.

"I mean come on! Even I haven't given him that!" Sakura sweat-dropped, maybe not, "He's rejected every single female in this entire village for god's sake!!"

Suddenly, Ino got a very, very evil smirk on her face, "Hey forehead girl," Sakura winced at the sly tone, and "You don't think our Sasuke-kun is gay do you?" After about five seconds of silence and a serious face, Ino broke it to burst out laughing.

"That's why he keeps rejecting you! Hahaha, that's funny. To think we've been chasing after a guy who doesn't even like girls all this time…" She continued to prattle while Sakura merely sat there dumbfounded, only moving when Ino suggested going up and asking him for herself.

"No, Ino-pig! Don't do that," Sakura pleaded.

"Oh, nonsense forehead girl, I'm just going to make sure that Sasuke-kun is really gay before I continue to comfort you. If he isn't…" She left it hanging, skipping merrily out of the store after turning the sign to 'closed'.

"Ino-pig, please don't do this," Sakura followed her, continuing to beg. She stopped, however, once they reached Sasuke-kun's normal training grounds.

Ino just stomped right up to the Uchiha leaving her friend to follow nervously.

"Oi, Uchiha!" When he looked at the two, Sasuke frowned, but she wasn't discouraged. She charged right up to him to stand in front of the Uchiha, hands on her hips.

"It's because you're gay isn't it?" He looked back at her blankly. Ino, being the clever girl she was, interpreted his body language and concluded that he was, in fact, gay. "To think that we've been hung-up on you for the past five years…"

He turned to look at Sakura as her friend continued to chatter on. His teammate was pointedly looking at her feet with a blush to rival Hinata's on her cheeks.

His observation stopped when Ino decided she was going to spread the news across town so that everyone will know about the horrible truth. "Everyone has a right to know," she stated matter-of-factly, "they were the ones chasing you."

This got a reaction from the previously speechless Uchiha, "No." With that, he turned away and began throwing shuriken at a post.

"No what, Sasuke-kun?"

--

By the time they reached the flower shop, both girls were laughing, "Did you see the look on his face?" Sakura gasped.

"Yeah and how he stuttered when he said he wasn't gay!" Ino collapsed on a chair, "Boy, I don't think I've had that much fun in forever!" The pink-head nodded, then turned to her friend seriously,

"Thank you, Ino-pig. That made me feel a lot better."

The blond only brushed it off, "It was no big deal. I've been waiting to say that to him ever since the idea first popped into my mind."

"Oh? And when was that?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. Her friend pretended to think for a moment, but eventually replied,

"The first time I met him." This sent them into another round of hysterics.

--

The next week, Ino was pleased to see her friend racing towards the shop again, but this time she wasn't crying.


	6. Fated vs Lucky

Note: this is another was gonna be a oneshot. NejiXtenten makes me happy, and you can do so much with it (probably because Tenten has so little character development TT.TT) well, anymewho, here's a second chapter today! I probably shouldn't be writing these and write Bye Bye paradise, but...i don't know. If I don't write these, then there's so much Dust in my brain that i can't think about anything else...if that made any sense?

Listening to: Sunday, Bloody Sunday (U2)

Disclaimer: you really want me to own naruto?! tell that to Santa! He didn't give him to me...sniff

"_**I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." – Thomas Jefferson**_

Tenten had always been rather…odd. It wasn't her fault really, just luck of the draw as she called it.

It had also been luck that she was chosen for Neji's partner. She rather liked annoying him with the possibility of luck, which he didn't believe it because 'fate rules all.'

That's why when her sparring partner and Naruto were fighting in the Chuunin Exams she had burst out laughing. People had looked at her, but it didn't matter; Neji was a funny person.

-Q-

"Neji," Tenten panted, "Let's take a break. We have a mission later." Her partner stopped, and if one looked closely, he also sighed.

She smiled; time for some fun. "Ne, Neji, I found chocolate half-off at the market yesterday! Isn't that lucky?" Her grin widened when he stiffened at the word 'lucky'.

"Tenten," he voice noticeably calm, as if explaining something to a little child, "We have been over this: luck does not exist. It was fate that you went to the market yesterday and the people there made the chocolate cheaper."

"No it wasn't, Neji!" she giggled, "If it had been fate I wouldn't have been hungry for some chocolate, it just would've been there for me to find and then I'd get a chocolate craving. Yesterday I had wanted chocolate and went to the market knowing I wanted some and found it half-off! That's luck!"

"Tenten, luck does not exist," he turned to face her.

"Yes it does! If one person believes, anything is possible!" she displayed a wider smile for him to see.

Neji sighed, "Luck is merely for those who are content and need a reason."

"And fate's the same way!" Tenten cried indignantly, "Fate is an excuse for everything so that if something goes wrong, you'll have a scapegoat!"

"No. What you described is Luck. People blame bad luck for things that go wrong. There are no two sides of fate, just what will happen." She would have argued more if he had not held up his hand, "We have wasted enough time uselessly arguing. It is time to train."

With that, he came at her, and Tenten was again pulled back into the action of a good spar.

-Q-

Neji had started believing in fate when his father died. He believed that everything had a purpose, and was to remain the same throughout their life. It was the only logical way to explain what had happened to him.

He hated it when people like Naruto tried to change their lot in life. It didn't work like that, he reasoned, there was no such thing as 'luck' as Tenten thought. It was all fate.

"But what if someone's fate was to change?" she always asked when he pointed out fate was better.

He still had no idea how to answer.

-Q-

Neji could tell she was about to goad him into another dispute over the superiority of Luck or Fate.

"Hey Neji, I got luc--"

"That's nice Tenten." He wasn't going to play this game. Especially now when he had just seen someone defy fate. Naruto wasn't Konoha's number one unpredictable ninja for nothing, everyone said. This argument could easily be manipulated by Tenten and be used to make a gap in his defense at which she could poke and prod and eventually tear down his entire argument.

"You don't even know what I did!" she pouted.

"I'm not going to argue with you over the superiority of Fate," with that, he dropped into a fighting stance. She didn't follow suit, though.

Instead, she declared, "Fate isn't superior, and I can prove it!"

He looked at her unconvinced. "I can!" With that, she marched over to him. When she was directly in front of him, she leaned over and up to kiss him. It was a very defiant kiss, and didn't last long. She soon stepped to glare at him triumphantly, "I bet Fate wasn't expecting that!"

He had no doubt that it hadn't.

-Q-

Tenten knew she had won when he never brought it up. It was just like him to not openly acknowledge a defeat. Years past, and the two remained sparring partners even as their ranks changed. She didn't mind: she knew Neji was better. He was a Hyuuga, and a protégé at that. It was his destiny to be great.

Yes, she did believe in destiny. When that had been brought up in one of their short squabbles, she had brushed it off, saying that destinies can change based on luck. Neji had disagreed, saying that destiny and fate were the same things.

She had been called off by Gai-sensei at that point. When she had thought about the argument later that same day, Tenten recalled remembering the day she had started believing in destiny was the same day she met Hyuuga Neji.

-Q-

Neji didn't like to lose. It was a fact he had come to accept over the years. It was the reason why he had hated the main house so much: they were the reason he lost his father.

When he lost to Tenten in a fight, which was rare, he would congratulate her, and then continue to improve. It was a system they had silently worked out. However, the rules only applied to physical spars. When it came to mental, they had no agreement, so he could do whatever he wanted.

That's why he stopped arguing. Well, it was one reason. The other was that Tenten stopped initiating the arguments.

Not that he ever acknowledged it consciously, but deep in his being he missed those disputes they had.


End file.
